Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic has safely reached the second round of the 2014 tournament with a straight-sets win over Slovakia's Lukas Lacko.
Djokovic's lack of competitive action was evident in the opening two sets as his game was riddled with unforced errors, however a 6-3 win followed by a second-set tie-break put him two sets to the good.
The final set was much more comfortable for the world number two and he took it 6-1 to book his place in the second round.
Read how the action unfolded with our live text commentary below.
Hello tennis fans. The first Grand Slam of the year is upon us and the first evening session in the Rod Laver arena sees none other than the defending champ Novak Djokovic.
The world number two has looked in good form in the build up to this tournament. He ended 2013 the way he wants to start 2014, with a win in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. It looks as though this will be a straight-sets win, but this is why we play the matches isn't it?
Let's remind ourselves about last year's tournament then. Well it was once again the Djokovic show - the Serb took his third straight Australian Open crown with his 21st win in a row and he's certainly the man to beat here. In the final he brushed aside Andy Murray with relative ease.
Novak also has a new coach to add to his impressive staff, which was already bursting at the seams. None other than Boris Becker, of course. Djokovic felt that there were a couple of areas of his game he needed to improve - you'd have to look closely to see them, of course! Becker is surely as good as anyone to fine-tune his game and if the partnership is successful then the Serb will soon be back on top spot you would think.
Another thing in Djokovic's favour is his draw. There appears to be little standing in his way before the final, with the potential of facing Tomas Berdych or David Ferrer as tricky as it comes. That said, I don't necessarily subscribe to that theory - the sudden increase in ability of an opponent can be a lot in a relatively easy draw. If I were a tennis player, I'd want a gradual increase in difficulty throughout a Slam.
The players are out on court on time, which should mean we get underway promptly. What of Lacko? Well, the pair have never met, which does not really show us a lot. He is a mainstay in the top 100, having finished each of the last four years there. His highest ranking was 44, which he managed at the start of last year.
PREDICTION: I feel I'd be a fool if I predicted anything other than a straight-sets win for the Serb. I can see a few games going Lacko's way though, so let's say 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. The players are warming up currently under a late Melbourne evening inside Rod Laver Arena.
A reminder of some of the results from today, as the players are given a final five minutes to prepare. Britain's Laura Robson started her year disappointingly, going down in straight-sets to Kirsten Flipkens. Both David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych are through comfortably in the men's draw.
"Time," calls the umpire. That means that Djokovic's defence is just about to get underway. He will serve first.
A pair of points each for the players to begin the match, with Djokovic recovering from going wide, but then hitting long for 15-30 and perhaps an early chance for Lacko?
Indeed a late chance. It's break point for Lacko at 15-40!
Djokovic saves the first with a strong serve that is returned out, then comes out on top of a very even rally to level it up at deuce. There was one shot there that almost went out from Novak, but he escapes an early scare.
Djokovic holds, but he was certainly tested there. That game will give a lot of encouragement to the Slovakian, who comes out to serve for the first time.
It's accurate hitting from Lacko early on, who goes 40-15 up on his own serve to level the match. So far Djokovic hasn't hit his stride.
And there is 1-1. Two aces in the game from Lacko, who finishes with his second. This start has gone about as well as Lacko would have wished, I'd say.
Lacko is going toe-to-toe with Djokovic in the rallies early on, but surely that cannot last? That's much better from the Serb, who gives his opponent the runaround with a slice before finishing off with a volley down the line.
More comfortable for Djokovic in his second service game. It's much more like we would have expected from the world number two. It took a few minutes, but Djokovic has arrived in this match - he's still 2-1 up, of course.
Now here's a chance for the Serb. Really strong hitting in a rally from him sees Lacko eventually go long and he now has two break points.
An unlikely very wide backhand from Djoko and one has gone...
BREAK! And there it is. Djokovic takes the lead in the match as Lacko just lets his serve down a couple of notches. That's all it needs, of course, against the best in the world.
Excellent stuff now from Djokovic, as he slams a delicious forehand winner down the line. Lacko didn't move for it, and didn't need to either.
That was very easy indeed from Djokovic, who takes the service game to love. That nervy start is long behind him now and importantly his first-serve is looking very good indeed.
How can Lacko respond in order to stop this set running away from him? Well, that might help - Djokovic puts a forehand into the tramlines after a very weak second serve from his opponent.
A forehand down the line this time from Novak also goes wide. That's 30-0 now for Lacko, who must press on now.
Djokovic tries to attack a second serve, but it was more powerful than he was expecting and he nets for a game to love for Lacko.
Now Lacko is up 0-30 on the Djokovic serve. Big moment this in the opening set...
Awful shot from Djokovic, who goes very long with a backhand and now Lacko has another two break points!
BREAK! Perhaps this isn't the foregone conclusion it was looking! Good movement from Lacko on the baseline sees Djokovic try to take the initiative but hit the net with a backhand. He's back to looking rusty, the Serb, and this opening set is now very interesting.
What a brilliant shot from Djokovic. At 15-0 down he strides to his right to hit a cross-court winner, despite Lacko being almost there. Brilliant power.
Unplayable hitting from the Serb. He dominates a point at the baseline to take two break points.
The first is saved with a strong serve out wide returned long.
BREAK BACK! But that's not a good shot from the baseline for the underdog. He goes long and hands the advantage right back to Djokovic. Who, I suspect, will not lose this game.
SET DJOKOVIC! A really powerful forehand serve is as good as it gets for Lacko in that game as Djokovic wraps up the first in just 30 minutes.
Novak will not be overly pleased with how he played there at times. He had two very nervy service games in particular - broken in one - but aside from that there was more than enough to take the set. When he plays well he's too good for Lacko, as you would expect.
Good start to the second set from Lacko, who moves up 30-0. The second rally he did not look on top of, but a surprising unforced error, again on the backhand, sees the Serb go long.
Excellent stuff! Lacko fires a backhand wide and low, but Djokovic gets there to fire an even better one down the line. Lacko returns it into the net, but is still 40-30 up.
And an ace wraps up the game for him. His serve was much better there than at the end of the last set.
An effortless ace there from Djokovic is followed by another out wide to go to 40-15.
Djokovic responds with an even more dominant service game than Lacko's. He lost the first point but was magnificent after.
Lacko comes back with some big serving of his own, moveing to 30-0 before a wonderful backhand pass from Djokovic gives him a way back into the game.
We have seen the best and the worst of Djokovic's backhand already, and that was the worst of it as he plants one half-way up the net to surrender the game. When Lacko has his serve firing, he's tough to break - can he keep it up for the rest of the match?
He's even quite solid in the rallies, and has won his fair share of them. After a long one Djokovic nets for 0-15.
However, Djokovic responds well with another dominant service game. It has been routine for both men on serve up to now in this set, so when will one give?
Excellent stuff from Djokovic, but Lacko made the wrong choice to come to the net. His overhead volley is quickly dispatched down the opposite side of the court by a quick-thinking Djokovic for 15-30.
It was looking like Djokovic might get the chance to break for a while, but Lacko responds well in the latter half of the game to hold again. He's doing really well the Slovakian, but you feel all Djokovic has to do is turn it up slightly.
Great play there from Lacko. He's at full stretch in a rally, but rocks to his left to swipe a backhand winner down the line for 15-15.
Then a fine response from Djokovic. It's another long rally - 19 shots - and this time the Serb finishes it off with a sliced forehand clipped down the line. Lacko applauds the shot, as do most inside Rod Laver.
It's a comfortable hold in the end for the world number two and so far in the set every game has gone with serve. This is a really good clash currently.
Here comes Djokovic stepping it up. A forced error then an unforced one end the same - Lacko goes long - and it's 0-30.
Lacko responds really well to the early pressure in the game and manages another hold. Each one is getting progressively tougher, but he still has his nose ahead in the second set. You feel he'd rather a break than have to settle for a tie-break, which Novak would be favourite for.
It has been quite error-strewn so far, from both players. At 30-0 down Lacko reminds his illustrious opponent that he's still in this one with a cross-court return winner off the forehand.
That's a fine way to wrap up a service game from Djokovic as he slaps a winner across court past the run of Lacko.
Best rally of the game - very much an exhibition point for the showcourt. Lacko is run to the net and then back before finally claiming the point as Djokovic goes long.
It's neck-and-neck in this game as Djokovic hits an excellent forehand down the line to bring it level at 30-30.
Now break point for the Serb...
Excellent way to save it too from Lacko, who hits a big one-two with his serve and sees Novak send his lob long. Now it's game point for Lacko on advantage with a well-worked net point.
Lovely disguise on the drop shot from Djokovic, and he plants the ball where Lacko was never going to reach it. This is the longest point of the match so far as Lacko again has advantage.
Big hold from Lacko, who finally puts home an advantage. He's looking every inch the top-50 player he was at the start of 2013.
Rapid-fire hold from Djokovic, who is ending the set strongly. A break here would be very timely indeed.
But Lacko has other ideas! At 15-0 up he rifles a backhand that's too quick even for Djokovic on the baseline. A clean winner.
Now applause from Djokovic as he's beaten by another winner. Lacko sets up the point so well hitting into the corners and the forehand into the opposite corner is as good as there has been all match. It's 40-30.
Now deuce, though. It was a really good return from Djokovic and Lacko couldn't keep his effort in court.
Magnificent winner from Lacko. Initially he thinks he's won the point but Djokovic's defensive lob lands just in. The Slovakian responds a few shots later with a fizzing backhand down the line for advantage.
That's a point of the highest order! Both men are at 100% there and are hitting the lines with ferocious shots. In the end a forehand is just too good for the Serb and he puts his return wide. Advantage again from Lacko and this time he takes it for 6-5. He's at least in a breaker here - he has had to work for it but is very much up to the challenge in this set.
TIE-BREAK! Djokovic makes short work of his service game and we go into a second-set breaker. You'd fancy Novak here, but of course anything can happen.
Lacko takes the first point, but Djokovic quickly follows it up to level at 1-1.
Excellent net play from Lacko, who levels it at 2-2 with a high volley into the corner.
There's the mini-break for Djokovic. It's 3-2 and he now has two serves.
Excellent serve for 4-2, right into the corner that Lacko cannot get back over the net. This next point is vital.
It goes Djokovic's way courtesy of ace number six. Lacko simply has to win his next service point at 2-5 down.
Nope. Four set points for Novak - it's a long way back here for the Slovakian.
SET! And indeed Djokovic takes it. I got the impression that Lacko needed to break rather than rely on a breaker, but he couldn't and is now two sets down. Djokovic played the perfect breaker, in fairness, and stepped up his game at the vital time. This third set could be a quick one now.
Very easy service game from Djokovic to get the third set off to the perfect start. Lacko has to hold here to slow the Serbian momentum.
That's a good way to start - a sweeping backhand right into the corner for 15-0.
A really important point goes the way of the world number two. He's 15-30 up and wins a lengthy rally with a decision to come to the net for two break points. Neither man was giving there and the Serb took it into his own hands well.
BREAK! It's break on the second attempt as a Lacko shot hits the net and just ends up on the wrong side of it. The early break you feel could well finish off the Slovakian.
A hold to love from Djokovic, who is making very short work of what is surely the final set. Lacko challenges an umpire overrule on a Djokovic ace, but it's in vain as they're very rarely wrong.
A little better now from Lacko, who moves 40-15 up when Djokovic goes long on an advancing forehand.
Lacko gets himself on the board in the third set at the fourth time of asking. He now has 10 games, which is more than a lot of players take off Djokovic.
The errors have nearly gone from Djokovic's game now and he's really finding the target with his shots. Lacko comes back well, however, to dominate a rally and finish it off with a smash for 30-15 - his net game has been excellent.
Djokovic responds with a couple of fine aces to hold comfortably for the third time in this set. He needs two more games and the way he's playing I wouldn't be surprised if he won the set 6-1.
What a superb return from Djokovic. He was heading right, but suddenly sprung to his left to plant a backhand right on the line. Despite that, he's 30-15 down in the game.
It's a little loose now from Lacko. Some big serves keep him ahead in the game, but twice he has gone long unforced to let Djokovic back in at deuce.
BREAK! Double break from Djokovic. Lacko challenged the final two shots, which both just clipped the back of the baseline and now the Serb will serve for the match.
Lacko has given up the ghost now I think, as Djokovic goes up 30-0.
GAME, SET AND MATCH DJOKOVIC! Djokovic 6-3 7-6[2] 6-1 Lacko
Djokovic goes wide but clips a delightful drop shot just over the net. Then an ace wraps things up for the world number two. He was definitely made to work at times and took a little while to get up to speed, but as sets one and three showed he will be incredibly hard for anyone to beat over the next fortnight.
Some words from Novak Djokovic speaking after the match:
"First of all I have to say it's a great pleasure to be back on this court - I love playing here. It's the first competitive match I've played this season, I've not played for five or six weeks, so I was a bit rusty on the court in the first two sets. But afterwards it was all working well in the third and I'm glad to go through."
On what makes the Australian Open so successful for him: "I would say first of all I love the energy of the Australian people and I love being here. Second of all it's the start of the season and everybody is motivated to play their best tennis. I don't take any match for granted and I just want to play my best so hopefully I can go far."
That's all from me here. Thanks for joining me for the action this morning and we will have Serena Williams against Ashleigh Barty on site very soon. Until next time, goodbye.
